This lesson will give students an introduction to the Father of Genetics, Gregor Mendel. As the proclaimed Father of Genetics, he is responsible for recognizing the patterns of P1, F1, and F2 generations of pea plant traits. Students will learn who Mendel was and why the contributions he made towards science was so significant. Students will also analyze how he used pea plants (what he did to manipulate the patterns) and what traits he studied. In order to relate this information back to the students I am going to have the students think about traits they could have received from their parents/grandparents. At the end of the lesson students will create their own monohybrid crosses (thinking about traits that they know, or other people have told them came from their mother or father. ie - "Your eyes are just like your mothers!").
Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Level 2 - Identify/Discuss
Level 2 - Make observations
Prerequisite Knowledge
No prerequisite knowledge is needed for this lesson because all information is new. However, students will need to recall the information being taught in this lesson so it is very important that students grasp the concepts.
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
This lesson is very interactive and because of this there are many opportunities for students to get off topic and start their own mini discussions while they should be doing their work. I plan on walking around the room, even when I'm talking so that students can see me and now that I am there if any problems arise or if they need to ask a question.
Accommodations and modifications
For students who are struggling during this lesson I have created a monohybrid cross worksheet to organize the information for them. Each worksheet has the crosses already drawn out. For further organization, next to each punnett square there is a list of information that punnett squares give us and it is the students job to fill in that information in the right spot.
Environmental factors
Students will be looking at vegetables in groups of 3-4.
Materials
Vegetables of the same kind representing different phenotypes
Master 14 Monohybrid Worksheet - copies for all students
HW - Section 10.1 Mendel's Laws of Heredity
Objectives:
Students will DISCUSS who Mendel is and what his contributions to Genetics was
Make OBSERVATIONS as to why/how he used pea plants
RECOGNIZE traits studied by Mendel
CREATE their own monohybrid crosses using traits they recognize as traits gained from their parents
Instruction:
Opening:
For the opening I will introduce Gregor Mendel with a funny picture found online, using an overhead I will put the picture up for everyone to see (I am hoping to find a good picture of Mendel surrounded by pea plants. Below the picture it will say:
Self Directed Question - "Did you know this crazy looking guy is known as the Father of Genetics?! Today we will be talking about his discoveries that led to this nickname. How do you think he earned this nickname? Write a few ideas down, I will be collecting this at the end of class?." This whole question will be written on the board for students to answer in their notebooks. These will be the only questions asked.
I will give students a few minutes to do this short activity while I take attendance, check previous HW, etc.
Once I am done I will have the class come together and we will discuss what students thought. "Can any of you read me your journals and tell me what you thought it took to become 'The Father of Genetics'?"
This discussion will then lead into my TOPIC:
I will allow my students to see what my GOAL is for them because I will have it written on the board for when they first walk in:
By the end of this lesson I would like all of you to be able to pick a trait you possess, then make a Punnett Square for it using your mom and your dad as the P1 generation. Then tell me all the possible phenotypes of the cross and their ratios
On board:
Today:
Investigate Mendal
Identify a family trait
Predict traits using a "Punnett Square"
Engagement:
After hearing what students thought it takes to become "The Father of Genetics" I will give them a little background knowledge about Mendel, his life and how he got interested in pea plants (what traits he studied and why):
Activity 1
What was Mendel trying to do?
Why pea plants? - Show pea plant cross wkst (this wkst simply shows the P1 cross of 2 plants and their 4 offspring)
What if you were Mendel? How could you manipulate the plants?
How did he keep track of the crosses? - punnett squares Why are they called "Punnett Squares?"
This discussion will lead into my first activity:
Activity 2 - Looking at vegetable phenotypes
Hand out vegetables to each group
During this activity students will be working in groups of 4 students. Each group will be given their own vegetable (of the same type) to study and make observations about. However, each vegetable will be different in its own way. I am going to find a vegetable that shows different phenotypes (thus having different genotypes) and allowing students to explore what can be different about each vegetable. The terms genotype and phenotype will not yet be introduced. I first want my students to be able to SEE the differences between vegetables (size, shape, texture, color, etc) before I go into the genetics behind it.
Will you introduce the terms genotype and phenotype?
(Make Graphic Organizer?) Students will write down the characteristics of their individual plant that they have found and then compare to the other groups.
We will then use this knowledge to relate back to Mendel and what he discovered about the differences in Pea Plant genetics.
What traits are different between each vegetable? How can so much variation happen among the same species of plant? What law/rule does this relate back to Mendel? A visual representation of Mendel's work will be shown in the beginning of the lesson (pea plant cross wkst)Will you have some visual representations of Mendel's work?
Hand out Monohybrid Crosses worksheet
Using this worksheet students will then create Punnettsquares to show the phenotypes of their vegetable.
Go over some student examples
Transition Statement: "Now that we've applied Mendel's discoveries to plants, how has this helped us learn more about US (humans)? Has anyone ever said to you, 'You look JUST LIKE your mother!' or 'You have your dads blue eyes?' All this can be related right back to Mendel and his pea plants. Can you guys name some human traits for me?" Good. How about asking a more thoughtful question, e.g. How would you apply Mendel's idea to determine how we inherit traits from our parents?"
Activity 3 - Where did your traits come from?
Allow students the chance to DRAW their own punnett squares (about 2 or 3) using their parents as the P1 generation and themselves as the F1 generation offspring (making REAL LIFE connections). They will pick from the list of human traits that the class generated in my transition statement. Have you introduced this way of talking about generations?
Inquiry Question: "Looking at the genotypes from your crosses, do you have any siblings that fits another genotype?"
Come together as a class and discuss some student examples: What made you choose these traits? Does your sibling(s) share your traits or don't they? Why do you think this trait shows up in your phenotype and not your siblings?
First page ONLY: The reason why students will only be doing the first page of this 4 page packet is because they will not have the knowledge to answer the rest of the questions. The first part is of the assignment is to complete the statement by inserting the proper word into the sentence. The second part deals with P1 and F1 generations. Students are to fill in the missing information from each cross given on the table.
Is this a reading assignment? How will you set it up? Did you learn that this is important in your literacy class? What are the instructions? How will students' reading/understanding be assessed?
Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Gregor WHO?!
State Standards: GLEs/GSEs
http://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/LS3+(9-11)+-+7
Extension: LS3 7bbhttp://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/LS3+(Ext)+-+7
Context of Lesson:
This lesson will give students an introduction to the Father of Genetics, Gregor Mendel. As the proclaimed Father of Genetics, he is responsible for recognizing the patterns of P1, F1, and F2 generations of pea plant traits. Students will learn who Mendel was and why the contributions he made towards science was so significant. Students will also analyze how he used pea plants (what he did to manipulate the patterns) and what traits he studied. In order to relate this information back to the students I am going to have the students think about traits they could have received from their parents/grandparents. At the end of the lesson students will create their own monohybrid crosses (thinking about traits that they know, or other people have told them came from their mother or father. ie - "Your eyes are just like your mothers!").Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Level 2 - Identify/DiscussLevel 2 - Make observations
Prerequisite Knowledge
No prerequisite knowledge is needed for this lesson because all information is new. However, students will need to recall the information being taught in this lesson so it is very important that students grasp the concepts.Plans for Differentiating Instruction
This lesson is very interactive and because of this there are many opportunities for students to get off topic and start their own mini discussions while they should be doing their work. I plan on walking around the room, even when I'm talking so that students can see me and now that I am there if any problems arise or if they need to ask a question.Accommodations and modifications
For students who are struggling during this lesson I have created a monohybrid cross worksheet to organize the information for them. Each worksheet has the crosses already drawn out. For further organization, next to each punnett square there is a list of information that punnett squares give us and it is the students job to fill in that information in the right spot.Environmental factors
Students will be looking at vegetables in groups of 3-4.Materials
Objectives:
Instruction:
Opening:
For the opening I will introduce Gregor Mendel with a funny picture found online, using an overhead I will put the picture up for everyone to see (I am hoping to find a good picture of Mendel surrounded by pea plants. Below the picture it will say:I will give students a few minutes to do this short activity while I take attendance, check previous HW, etc.
Once I am done I will have the class come together and we will discuss what students thought. "Can any of you read me your journals and tell me what you thought it took to become 'The Father of Genetics'?"
This discussion will then lead into my TOPIC:
I will allow my students to see what my GOAL is for them because I will have it written on the board for when they first walk in:
On board:
Engagement:
After hearing what students thought it takes to become "The Father of Genetics" I will give them a little background knowledge about Mendel, his life and how he got interested in pea plants (what traits he studied and why):Activity 1
- What was Mendel trying to do?
- Why pea plants? - Show pea plant cross wkst (this wkst simply shows the P1 cross of 2 plants and their 4 offspring)
- What if you were Mendel? How could you manipulate the plants?
- How did he keep track of the crosses? - punnett squares Why are they called "Punnett Squares?"
This discussion will lead into my first activity:- Activity 2 - Looking at vegetable phenotypes
- Hand out vegetables to each group
- During this activity students will be working in groups of 4 students. Each group will be given their own vegetable (of the same type) to study and make observations about. However, each vegetable will be different in its own way. I am going to find a vegetable that shows different phenotypes (thus having different genotypes) and allowing students to explore what can be different about each vegetable. The terms genotype and phenotype will not yet be introduced. I first want my students to be able to SEE the differences between vegetables (size, shape, texture, color, etc) before I go into the genetics behind it.
- Will you introduce the terms genotype and phenotype?
- (Make Graphic Organizer?) Students will write down the characteristics of their individual plant that they have found and then compare to the other groups.
- We will then use this knowledge to relate back to Mendel and what he discovered about the differences in Pea Plant genetics.
- What traits are different between each vegetable? How can so much variation happen among the same species of plant? What law/rule does this relate back to Mendel? A visual representation of Mendel's work will be shown in the beginning of the lesson (pea plant cross wkst) Will you have some visual representations of Mendel's work?
- Hand out Monohybrid Crosses worksheet
- Using this worksheet students will then create Punnett squares to show the phenotypes of their vegetable.
- Go over some student examples
Transition Statement: "Now that we've applied Mendel's discoveries to plants, how has this helped us learn more about US (humans)? Has anyone ever said to you, 'You look JUST LIKE your mother!' or 'You have your dads blue eyes?' All this can be related right back to Mendel and his pea plants. Can you guys name some human traits for me?" Good. How about asking a more thoughtful question, e.g. How would you apply Mendel's idea to determine how we inherit traits from our parents?"Closure:
Have students come up and draw their generated punnett squares on the board and explain them to the class.Small review of what we learned:
Assessment:
- Closing monohybrid cross class discussion
- Homework - Section 10.1 Mendels Laws of Heredity
- First page ONLY: The reason why students will only be doing the first page of this 4 page packet is because they will not have the knowledge to answer the rest of the questions. The first part is of the assignment is to complete the statement by inserting the proper word into the sentence. The second part deals with P1 and F1 generations. Students are to fill in the missing information from each cross given on the table.
Is this a reading assignment? How will you set it up? Did you learn that this is important in your literacy class? What are the instructions? How will students' reading/understanding be assessed?Reflections
(only done after lesson is enacted)Student Work Sample 1 – Approaching Proficiency:
Student Work Sample 2 – Proficient:
Student Work Sample 3 – Exceeds Proficiency: